First Century Life


COSMETAE

“A woman without paint is like food without salt.” – Roman philosopher Plautus, 254-184 B.C. The wealthy Roman woman had a slave specially trained in the art of applying makeup, lotions, and perfumes. Her valet’s title was cosmetae, meaning “to anoint and paint.” The higher the lady’s status, the more makeup she wore. Regardless of…

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APICIUS

“Apicius, the most gluttonous gorger of all spendthrifts, established the view that flamingo’s tongue has a specially fine flavor.” – Pliny, Natural History X.133. Marcus Gavius Apicius was a Roman merchant famous for his legendary epicurean talents. He devised exotic and sumptuous recipes, and hosted dinner parties for the luminaries of his time. Among his…

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RED MULLETS

“You sold a slave to buy a costly mullet for your dinner, Calliodorus…” – Martial, Epigrams X, XXXI. Ancient Romans were so fond of red mullet that they were bred in domestic ponds. Conscientiously attended by their caretakers, the fish were trained to surface at the ringing of a bell, or when summoned by their…

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COLUMNA LACTARIA

“Everyone, even if he is poor, rears a son; but exposes a daughter, even if he is rich”.  – Poseidippus of Cassandreia, 316-250 B.C. Under the earliest Roman laws, parents could legally dispose of their deformed babies if they had the agreement of 5 neighbors. Soon the consensus was no longer required, and people were…

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NIGHT TRAFFIC

“The crossing of wagons in the narrow, winding streets, the swearing of drivers brought to a standstill would snatch sleep from a sea-lion or emperor Claudius himself.”  – Decimus Junius Juvenalis. The design and width of Roman roads was specified by the Laws of the Twelve Tables around 450 B.C. Major thoroughfares designed for side…

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CAPUCHIN CRYPT

“A monument of funerary art” – Marquis de Sade, A.D. 1775. The Capuchin Crypt is situated beneath the Roman church, Santa Maria della Concezione. There is no official history of its development over the centuries, but it is known that some of the soil was brought from Jerusalem by order of Pope Urban VIII. When…

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HAND IN MARRIAGE

“If you want to be loved, be lovable.” Hecato of Rhodes, 100 B.C.; quoted by Seneca, Moral Epistles, epistle IX. There were five methods through which a Roman woman could legally enter matrimonium. By living with the man continuously for a period of one year; be exchanged for money symbolic of sale; marry in a…

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GLADIATORS

“There is nothing so ruinous to good character as to idle away one’s time at some spectacle.”  – Seneca A.D. 40. Gladiator matches, like chariot racing, probably originated as funeral games. Livy recorded the first Roman gladiatorial combat in 264 B.C. when 3-pairs of gladiators fought to the death in honor of D. Junius Brutus’ father….

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TIE THE KNOT

Why do engaged couples refer to their impending marriage as tying the knot? The first century Roman bride wore a straight, floor length tunic made of white cloth.  It was gathered at the waist with a special wedding cingulum, or belt, which symbolized her chastity. Constructed of woven wool, it featured an elaborate Herculean Knot, also…

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THE TONSOR

“Part of your jaw is clipped, part is shaved, part is plucked of hairs. Who would imagine this to be a single head?”   – Marcus Martialis 41-104 A.D. First century historian, Suetonius, records that Julius Caesar was a Roman dandy. He engaged a personal Tonsor who would keep his hair and beard fastidiously groomed….

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